No hate. No violence Races? Only one Human race United We Stand, Divided We Fall Know Your enemy! -No time to waste. Act now! Tomorrow it will be too late You are what you know and what you do with what you know -¤- Freedom of Speech - Use it or lose it!

Media and Political
Power of Israel
in the U.S.

More about the Jewish Media Jewish Media Moguls in Action Important collection of quotes and facts on Jewish Media Power

"I've never seen a president --I don't care who he is-- stand up to them [the Israelis]. It just boggles your mind. They always get what they want. The Israelis know what's going on all the time. I got to the point where I wasn't writing anything down. If the American people understood what grip those people have on our government, they would rise up in arms. Our citizens don't have any idea what goes on." -- Admiral Thomas Moorer of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (See Washington Report 12/1999, p.124 quoting from Andrew Hurley's book, "One Nation Under Israel")	"I've never seen a president --I don't care who he is-- stand up to them [the Israelis]. It just boggles your mind. They always get what they want. The Israelis know what's going on all the time. I got to the point where I wasn't writing anything down. If the American people understood what grip those people have on our government, they would rise up in arms. Our citizens don't have any idea what goes on." -- Admiral Thomas Moorer of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (See Washington Report 12/1999, p.124 quoting from Andrew Hurley's book, "One Nation Under Israel")
"The Israeli Prime Minister has a lot more influence over the foreign policy of the United States in the Middle East than he has in his own country." -- Former Congressman Paul Findley, in his book They Dare to Speak Out, p. 92.	"The Israelis control the policy in the congress and the senate ... somewhere around 80 percent of the senate of the United States is completely in support of Israel -- of anything Israel wants...." -- Chairman Senator Fullbright, 10/07/1973 on CBS' "Face the Nation".
"We have exhausted our requests. President Clinton has answered all our needs. There has been no American president in history like President Clinton, in his support of Israel and the Jewish people." -- Shimon Peres (From Washington Report, July 1996, pg. 17)	" resident Clinton behaves like an obedient child of Israel and does not know how to say `No.'" -- Nahum Barnea, Israeli writer (From Washington Report, July 1996, pg. 17)
"There is definitely an anti-Arab bias in America, and I regret it" -- Peter Jennings cited in Alfred Lilienthal's 1982 Zionist Connections II, p.273, citing Edmund Ghareeb, The American Media and the Palestine Problem, Journal of Palestine Studies, Autumn 1975, Winter 1976.	"The Capitol Hill is an Israeli occupied territory". -- Patrick Buchanan (St. Louis Dispatch, 10/20/1990).

"I am aware how almost impossible it is in this country to carry out a foreign policy [in the Middle East] not approved by the Jews. [Former Secretary of State George] Marshall and [former Defense Secretary James] Forrestral learned that" -- Sec. of State John Foster Dulles in Feb. 1957 quoted on p.99 of Fallen Pillars by Donald Neff

"... terrific control the Jews have over the news media and the barrage the Jews have built up on congressmen .... I am very much concerned over the fact that the Jewish influence here is completely dominating the scene and making it almost impossible to get congress to do anything they don't approve of. The Israeli embassy is practically dictating to the congress through influential Jewish people in the country" -- Sec. of State John Foster Dulles in Feb. 1957 quoted on p.99 of Fallen Pillars by Donald Neff

"I know I was elected by the votes of American Jews. I owe them my victory. Tell me, is there something I ought to do?" -- U.S. President John F. Kennedy speaking privately to Ben-Gurion (p.90 A & L Cockburn 1991).

"The little Knesset" - - Sec. of state James Baker describing pro-Israel Congressmen, quoted in the Web Page of the Zionist Organization of America, which, in turn, quotes the Los Angeles Times (March 7, 1992)

"I do not think I ever had as much pressure and propaganda aimed at the White House as I had in this instance" -- U.S. President Harry Truman writing in his memoirs about the Zionist pressure to support the partition of Palestine.

Israel's Lobby and Power in the U.S.

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One Nation, Under Israel by Andrew Hurley, 1999. Reviewed by Richard Curtiss

AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) is Israel's main lobby in the U.S. There are about 126 other political action committees (PAC), listed under deceptive names to hide their actual purpose, that can be mobilized at any time to rain money on any congressman ousting his disobedient opponent who dared criticize any aspect of U.S.-Israeli relationship. No wonder AIPAC is referred to on the Capitol Hill as "The Lobby". Many congressmen (now all ex's), such as the late Fullbright, Findley, and Percy, felt its power when daring to mildly criticize U.S.-Israeli relationship. Such criticism would also induce the wrath of the numerous pro-Israel columnists around the nation's major newspapers, such the New York Times' Safire, A.M. Rosenthal and the more subtle Thomas Friedman, the Washington Post's Charles Krauthammer and George Will, the Boston Globe's Jeff Jacoby, or the New Republic's Martin Peretz and Steven Emerson.

Those who are in line with AIPAC's will --commonly seen prostituting themselves and their country for the sake of Jewish vote-- such as Gephardt, Forbes, Helms, Gilman, D'Amato, Moynihan, Harkin, Levin, Specter, Lieberman and Gingrich, are generously rewarded. All Netanyahu (or any Israeli leader) has to do is make up a catchy phrase, regardless of how false or out-of-context it may be, e.g. "Arafat is not keeping his promise of locking terrorists up" or that "the Palestinian Authority has not changed their charter which calls for Israel's destruction". Immediately following that the whole flock of these pro-Israel congressmen are seen parroting in unison the same statements over and over until a new is devised. It is sad to see the many policy makers of today having their own political gains in mind, rather than the good of their country and the world.

• AIPAC Ranked #2 for Second Consecutive Year in FORTUNE Magazine's "Power 25" (AIPAC WebSite 11/23/1998)
• Gingrich Prostration Caps Month of Congressional Prostitution for Pro-Israel Votes, Campaign Contributions By Shirl McArthur (Washington Report 07/1998)
• While AIPAC Slept by Daniel Bloch (Jerusalem Post 10/03/1999). An intersting article from an Israeli right-wing paper, addressing AIPAC's influence and "slips" in service of Israel.
• Pro-Israel Lobby Sways U.S. Policy (New York Times Service 07/06/1987)
• Pro-Israel PAC Donations Soared in Final Months of 1996 Election Cycle by Richard Curtiss (Washington Report 04/1997) also here (10/1996).
• The Pro-Israel Lobby by Edward Herman (Z Magazine 07/1994)
• Labor Accuses AIPAC of Being 'extreme right-wing' group by Nitzan Horowitz (Ha'aretz 08/04/1998). Even Labor thinks that AIPAC is too pro right-wing.
• Safire Media Attacks Began When Inman Blocked Israeli Access to U.S. Satellite Intelligence. Excerpts from transcript of televised news conference by Admiral Bobby Ray Inman in Austin, TX, Jan. 18, 1994 (Washington Report 02/1994). Another article by Richard Curtiss on this issue (Washington Report 02/1994).
• Pro-Israel Lobbies Urging Agenda Inimical to Israel ... by Neve Gordon (Washington Report 01/1998)
• Jewish Political Power by Ira Rifkin Quoting J.J. Goldberg
• Zionist Lobby in the U.S. (Excerpted from the Washington Report)
• The Jews who Run Clinton's Court by Avinoam Bar-Yosef (Ma'ariv 09/02/1994)
• Demonizing Islamic Revivalism: The Jewish Lobby's Impact on U.S. Foreign Policy by Dr. Ahmad Yousef & Terry Rauch
• Kosher White House (Middle East Realities 6/16/97)
• Political Overkill by Joseph Harsch (Christian Science Monitor 08/16/1984)
• The Israeli- Zionist Lobby in the United States by Roger Garaudy from his (in)famous book: The Founding Myths of Israeli Policy, 1996. (It is here stressed that only the part relating to the influence of Israel's lobby of Garaudy's book is endorsed.)
• Monica, the Mossad and Senator Mikulski: an Open letter by William Hughes (08/29/1998). Regrettably, this link has been dead for a while.
• U.S. Policy-Makers' Voting Record on Israel in 1997-98 by Shirl McArthur (Washington Report 09/1998)
• Under Prodding of a Zionist Al Gore Fires a Speech Writer by Donald Neff (Washington Report 07/1998)
• Dear Bill a call on Bill Clinton from an Israeli peace activist, to toughen up against Netanyahu and "disregard those bought senators" by Uri Avnery (Ma'ariv 08/24/1998)
  

Hillary, W. Bush, Gore, Lieberman, etc: Election 2000

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  Hilary Clinton and Rick Lazio "supporting Israel" --for their NY Senate Race

• US First Lady Changes Position on Palestinian Statehood. An example of Israel's political power within the U.S. (Israel Wire 04/22/1999).
• Bush campaign steps back from supporter's criticism of Israel by Janine Zacharia (Jerusalem Post 09/27/2000)
• Lieberman's Record on the Middle East
• Holy Smoke and Mirrors: The Rise of Centrist Theocrats by Norman Solomon (08/10/2000). On the appointment of Lieberman as Gore's running mate.
• Bush Will Support Israel Unconditionally by Janine Zacharia (Jerusalem Post 08/02/2000)
• Bush vows to shift embassy to Jerusalem by Nitzan Horowitz (Ha'aretz 12/03/1999)
• Hillary Threatens Palestinian Aid by Beth J. Harpaz (Associated Press 07/26/2000)
• Hillary Gets a Shabbat Reprieve by Marilyn Henry (Jerusalem Post 07/24/2000)
• Mrs. Clinton Acts as Candidate on Israel, Not as First Lady (Reuters/NYT 08/07/1999). Hillary endorses Jerusalem as the eternal and indivisible capital of Israel and also endorsed moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
• Lazio Courts Jews With Syria Bill by Shannon McCaffrey (Associated Press 07/11/2000)
• Hillary Clinton Pressed to Support a Pardon for Pollard by Nitzan Horowitz (Ha'aretz 08/15/1999)
• All's Fair in Love, War and the NY Senate Race by Nitzan Horowitz (Ha'aretz 08/08/1999)
• The Lobby by Michael Poulin (Palestine Papers 06/1989)
• Israel's Powerful Friends by George Szamuely (www.antiwar.com 06/2000)
• AIPAC President Resigns by Sheldon L. Richman (Washington Report 12/1992)
• "I would like it if the Palestinian people felt free and were free to live wherever they like, wherever they want to live," President Clinton (07/01/1999). Barak "rejected" Clinton's statement and demanded a a clarification. Then "President Clinton backed down from comments he made during a July 1 news conference supporting the right of Palestinian refugees to return to Israel. Responding in a July 5 letter to the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Clinton said, 'Let me assure you that there has been no change in U.S. policy on this matter,' adding that the 'issue of Palestinian refugees must be dealt with and resolved by the parties themselves.'" -- From the 07/13/1999 Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
  Aside from showing that Clinton spits out nice but meaningless words to appease his audience, this shows that Clinton, most likely, backed down under U.S. pro-Israel pressure.
• Clinton Won't Address The U.N. On Yom Kippur (Reuter/Ha'aretz 07/30/1999)
• Eisenhower Regretted That He Pushed For Sinai Withdarwal by Joseph Lerner, (Israel Resource Review 05/05/1997)
• Mitterand Complained About a "Zionist Lobby" (Reuter/Ha'aretz 08/27/1999)
• Bradley Targets Jews in N.Y. by Beth Gardiner (AP 10/1999)
• Congress Threatens to Withhold UN Dues in Support of Israel Joining European Group by Nitzan Horowitz (Ha'aretz 04/16/2000)
• Nations see Jews as key to winning favor with U.S. By Michael J. Jordan (Jewish Telegraphic Agency 09/13/2000)

"Hollywood is run by Jews. It is owned by Jews, and they should have a greater sensitivity about the issue of people who are suffering"
-- Actor Marlon Brando on Larry King Live 04/05/1996

 

• US Journalists Consistently Ignore Israeli State Terrorism by Sheldon L. Richman (Washington Report 05/1991)
• Media Myopia Some Booby Prizes for Myths, Mistakes, Misplacement, and More by John Law (Washington Report 05/1991)
• Steven Emerson Forced to Retract Accusations Against Journalist (CAIR 09/02/1999)
• Steven Emerson's Crusade by John F. Sugg (FAIR 01/1999). See also Emerson's Ties to Spies.
• Do Jews Run Holywood? (From E! online). Before passing a judgment of anti-Semitism, did you read the mission statement?
• Media Coverage of the "Peace Process" by Noam Chomsky. Excerpts from his book Necessary Illusions (1989). Especially the coverage by Thomas Friedman and the New York Times.
• Vanunu is Still a Non-Person in U.S. Media by Norman Solomon (Creators Sydicate)
• Media spin remains in sync with israeli occupation By Norman Solomon (10/16/2000)
• Kissing the Boots of a Media Goliath by Norman Solomon (Creators Sydicate 04/04/1997)
• A Free Press in the U.S.? Not Where Our Special Relationship with Israel is Involved by Susan Madeiros (1997)
• Picture Illustrating Result of Anti-Arab/Anti-Muslim Media Bias.
• Annan Answers Media Critics by Nicole Winfield (Associated Press 01/20/1999). It is a coincidence that the same hard-core pro-Israel columnists (Rosenthal) and magazines (New Republic) that happen to be the ones attacking Annan for averting the bombing of Feb 1998? And why aren't those columnist raising an issue about Ekus and Butler being American puppets? It wasn't until recently (Jan 99) that the US espionage on Iraq via UNSCOM became an issue.
• Link 1 and Link 2 Media critics and books.
• Netanyahu Benefits from Chronic Media Bias by Norman Solomon (02/14/1997)
• CAMERA and FLAME Pressuring U.S. Media by Mitchell Kaidy (Washington Report 07/1993)
• Washington Post Responds to CAMERA's Andrea Levin. (Commentary 02/1998) CAMERA pro-Israel organization that ensures the Western Press present "accurate" information about Israel (i.e. information in line with pro-Israel themes).
• "Extremist" Author Silenced for Lack of "Moderate" Opponent by Sam Husseini (FAIR 1993)
• Zuckerman Unbound by Sam Husseini and Jim Naureckas (FAIR 02/1993)
• Repetition doesn't make a lie the truth -- this is how I know by Charley Reese (Orlando Sentinel 05/23/1999).
• Book on Times' Editor Helps Explain Media Bias for Israel by Alfred Lilienthal (Washington Report 06/1989)
• American Jewish Fantasies of Israel: Coping With Cognitive Dissonance by Leon Hadar (Washington Report 08/1989). Discusses how the image of Israel in the minds of American Jews is basically a fantasy that is quite different from reality. Also, tells how the Israeli Hebrew press describes a vastly more accurate picture of the events and sins of Israel, than the image of Israel in Ameircan Jews' minds. When not told about the origin of some Israeli press articles they were asked to examine, most of American Jews thought it was from an anti-Semitic or anti-Israel Arab press. No one guessed it was the Israeli press. The difference between the Israeli and the American Jewish press are a further testament to that.

  "...of an average of 3,000 olim from the US each year, there are more than a few, and perhaps far too many compared to other communities, with a tendency toward acute extremism, to the point of violence"
  -- Eitan Haber quoted in the Jerusalem Post at http://www.jpost.com/com/Archive/26.Oct.1999/.

• Popular New Heikal Book 'Out of Print' Three Months After U.S. Release By Adbeen Jabara (Washington Report 12/1997)
• Internal Criticism of Racism Would Be Called "Anti-Semitic" Outside Israel by Israel Shahak (Washington Report 08/1991) One of the ways anti-Israel critics are silenced is to stigmatize them as anti-Semites.
• Retaliating in Advance: U.S. Reports Reverse Chronology of Israeli Airstrikes on Lebanon by Hussein Ibish (Extra 09/1999)
• CBS's Coverage of Israel's Occupation of Southern Lebanon A letter from ADC Communications Director Hussein Ibish to CBS News. (ADC 03/28/2000)
• U.S. news media: A security zone for Israel by Norman Solomon, (The Free Press 05/25/2000)
• Meticulously Planned Exodus Saga Gained Sympathy For Zionist Cause by Donald Neff (Washington Report 07/1995)
  
  
  

Hebrew (i.e. Israeli) Press

Careful comparison between the Israeli press (such as Ha'aretz, Ma'ariv, and Yediot Aharonot but not the oriented-towards-American Jerusalem Post) and the American (NY Times, Washington Post, U.S. News, CNN, .... etc) shows that the former is way more informative when it comes to Israel and the Middle East. While the American press and TV is dominated by pro-Israel apologists and others who either fear blacklisting (i.e. being branded anti-Semites), or blindly defend Israel, the Israeli press, on the other hand, is often more revealing and way more informative. The American press version of events is usually watered down, or put into some irrelevant context, leaving the average American ignorant or naive when it comes to the Middle East. Observe, for example, the treatment of the following issues by both the American versus Israeli press: Israel's nuclear weapons, terrorism by Israeli settlers, American Aid, Israel's monopoly of water resources in the area, settlement expansion, Palestinian human rights ... etc

Media bias

Media bias in the U.S. is another manifestation of Israel's power in the Western world. It is not so much in blatant lies, but rather, it is in telling half-truths, taking events out of their historical context, and giving gentler names to actions by Israel vice vile ones to actions by Palestinians and Arabs.

• In Search Of Truth, Not Dogma By Amy Pagnozzi (Hartford Courant 12/19/2000)
• Robert Fisk: I am being vilified for telling the truth about Palestinians by Robert Fisk (Independent 12/13/2000) 'The abuse being directed at anyone who dares to criticise Israel is reaching McCarthyite proportions'
• Where 'caught in the crossfire' can leave no room for doubt By Robert Fisk (Independent 10/02/2000)
• U.S. Media Mirror Distorts Middle East. Discusses subtlety of U.S. media bias in covering the Middle East, another manifestation of Israel's power within the U.S.
• Not telling the whole Truth by Sam
• Gentler Names to Inhumane Actions by Israel by Sam
• Public Spectacle, Public History by Edward Said (Al-Ahram 02/18-24/1999) Analysis of how the media defines the context, and hence the official history. Here the example Said uses is that of the media glorification of King Hussein, whose elevated status comes from his acceptance of U.S./Israeli peace, and not the true and just peace.
• Media in Cruise Control On the Bombing of Sudan al-Shifa Factory and Afghanistan by Jeff Cohen and Seth Ackerman (FAIR 08/1998)
• A Few Things Journalists Forgot to Tell Their Audiences by John Law (Washington Report 03/1991).
• Letters To NPR Criticism of media Middle East coverage by Ali Abunimah
• "Spin machine" blames the victim by Hanan Ashrawi (Middle East Times 10/2000) AL AQSA UPRISING
• Toughest Foreign Story by Rick Salutin (Toronto Globe & Mail 10/20/2000) AL AQSA UPRISING

   

  Middle East "Experts": The spectrum of news analysts and commentators is divided between the hard-core pro-Israel individuals, such as George Will and William Safire, versus the mildly pro-Israel ones, such as Tom Friedman and Ted Koppel. By selective criticism of Israel, the latters are made to appear as anti-Israel hence, giving the unsuspecting audience the illusion of balance reporting and equal representations on both sides of the issue. In addition Middle East guests on shows usually span the same spectrum of opinion of hardcore versus mildly pro-Israel. So not surprisingly, the only Arab-American who appears with frequency as a "Middle East expert" is professor Fouad Ajami, who was reportedly viewed, even by president Bush, as "more anti-Arabs than the Israelis," after the latter summoned Ajami to a meeting before the Gulf War (see a review of Ajami's book, the dream palace of the Arabs, by Andrew Robin from the Nation dated 03/23/1997.) Rarely, if ever, does one see such true Middle East experts as Edward Said, Norman Finkelstein, and Noam Chomsky, anywhere near media outlets. (This is also partially due to these experts themselves turning down invitations to shows which usually dictates on them presenting their case in few minutes.)

   

  Slogan/Myth Drilling (with Response)

  The deception in Middle East politics lies in the detail, not the headlines where most people "get their news about the Middle East". This accounts for some of the distorted view of the true Middle East in people's minds. Other methods of media deceptions is the continuous drilling of false slogans and cliches into people's minds, so that when one is too lazy to seek a detailed book for the facts, as most people are, he/she will fall back on to these "truths." These slogans also serve to mobilize diaspora Jews to pressure the US to accept Israeli position. Such slogans include:

• "Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East" rather than a democracy for Jews, a colonialist and a religiously exclusive state. Even Jews (of denominations other than Orthodox and/or of Sephardi origin) are discriminated against in Israel.
• "Israel made the desert bloom", but no mention of the sources of water such as the headwaters of the Jordan river, Sea of Galilee and the lakes above it that were being used to irrigate Arab lands, which now, as a result of water shortage, were turning into desert. See page 131 of Cockburn Dangerous Liaison, 1991. (Of course not to mention the erasing of 418 Palestinian villages and uprooting of 726,000 and enslaving the rest, as part of blooming the desert.) Also noted is Israel's systematic uprooting of tens of thousands of Palestinian trees, 50,000 since the beginning of the Oslo "Peace Process" alone (See article by Gideon Levy and an 11/28/2000 by Michael Browning and Larry Kaplow, (American-Statesman 11/28/2000)
• "Israel's purity of Arms" not counting the cluster, phosphoric, and implosion bombs used in Lebanon against civilians and the resultant 20,000 deaths, 85 percent of which were civilians, killing of prisoners of war by Israel, countless devastations and massacres, and killing and maiming during the Intifada of over 70,000 Palestinians many of whom children under 14. See an interview in Al-Hamishmar of Israel's Chief of Staff Gur where he bluntly admitt how Israel customarily bombs civilians, cited in Edward Said's intorduction to the Question of Palestine, 1979
• "[Poor] Israel is haunted by terrorism", without really alluding to the reasons for that, such as provoking, dispossessing, killing, harassing, uprooting, and torturing the Palestinians.
• "Israel our [US] valued ally", but avoiding such sensitive issues as Pollard, USS Liberty, Israeli espionage, Israel Lobby's neck-hold on such US-ME policies as blocking Billions of Dollars of airplane deals to Saudi Arabia and competing with U.S. defense industries.
• "The Palestinians still refuse to truly recognize Israel", as if an elephant, Israel, really cares if an ant, the Palestinians, recognizes its existence. Just in the same manner that the US would not really care if, say Micronisia, recognizes its existence.
• "The Peace Process" is a "land-for-peace" Deal , but never mind the astronomical growth of 50 percent of settler population on the occupied Palestinian West Bank just since Oslo, or the thousands of Palestinian homes demolished on Palestinian lands since Oslo to build settler-exclusive highways and others.
• In 1948 The Palestinians were asked by Arab governments to leave in order to comback after an anticipated victory. Israeli historian Benny Morris dispelled this myth a decade ago. But the reason for the departure of the Palestinians is irrelevant here, since according to the Internationl Declaration of Human Rights they have a right to return. (See Benny Morris' The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem, 1989, and Edward Said's The Question of Palestine, 1979)

  
  
  Hollywood

  Of the many manifestations of Israel's/Jewish media power is:

  Infitely many movies dehumanizing Palestinians and Arabs as mere terrorists who are in constant lust for blood and lack for a legitimate cause ("True Lies" and "Executive Decision").

  Infinitely many movies nourishing the many negative stereotypes about Arab culture in general ("Best Defense" and "Father of the Bride II").

  Infinitely many movies, books, documentaries, shows, etc, collecting charity of public opinion for, and allegiance to the suffering of the Jews ("Shindler's List" and "Diaries of Anne Franks"), while obscuring the massacres of others throughout the ages, such as the Ukranians by Stalin or the Armenians by the Turks, but mainly, the atrocities against today's Palestinians at the hands of Holocaust survivors.

  Almost all U.S. TV announcers and other public figures will not forget to juxtapose "Happy Chanukah" next to the customary "Merry Christmas", a gesture only granted to Judaism among the many religions whose followers in the U.S. number more than Jews.

  Such biases and deceptions are aimed at molding a more human image of Israel and inhumane one of the Arabs and the Palestinians in the U.S. and hence creating and maintaining a more ignorant public, whose tax money and ignorance are necessary to maintain the US support of every atrocity Israel commits.

• The Jewish Establishment by Joseph Sobran (12/1997). An anti-Semite used to be a person who hates Jews. Now, however, it is a person whom the Jews hates, or a person who disagrees with Israel's policies. The anti-Semitism charge is an effective tool used to silence the critics of Israel.
• Rabid Reflections (12/1997) by Joseph Sobran (12/1997)
• The Holocaust: Using it as a propaganda machine by Israel by Alfred Lilienthal. Extracted from chapter 13 of the book The Zionist Connection II: What Price Peace?

Israel Knows the Power of the Media

Knowing the power of the media, Israel selects its officials based on their knowledge of American manners and culture, i.e., have the ability to: play on the right emotion, maneuver skillfully to avoid sensitive issues, focus on irrelevant but catchy buzz-words, hence deceiving the American public who pays the bill, as explained by Israel Shahak (Washington Report 11/1996). This was the case of Benjamin Netanyahu who was "discovered" in July 1982 by Moshe Arens (then foreign minister) who needed somebody with American manners to "explain" the invasion of Lebanon to congress. When the issue concerns the Palestinians, Israel bases its actions not necessarily on morals, (rarely so in fact), but on the optimal way to avoid media attention. Here are two such illustrations by prime ministers Netanyahu and Rabin. The Rabin example also illustrates the difference in style, but with the similar outcome (as far as the Palestinians are concerned), between Labor and Likud:

• ADL - A History of Disinformation and Intimidation (Al-Akhbar)
• ADL vs. ADC
• As eloquently described by Noam Chomsky in his book Necessary Illusions (1989):

  The leading official monitor of anti-Semitism, the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai Brith, interprets anti-Semitism as unwillingness to conform to its requirements with regard to support for Israeli authorities.... The logic is straightforward: Anti-Semitism is opposition to the interests of Israel (as the ADL sees them). ...

  The ADL has virtually abandoned its earlier role as a civil rights organization, becoming "one of the main pillars" of Israeli propaganda in the U.S., as the Israeli press casually describes it, engaged in surveillance, blacklisting, compilation of FBI-style files circulated to adherents for the purpose of defamation, angry public responses to criticism of Israeli actions, and so on. These efforts, buttressed by insinuations of anti-Semitism or direct accusations, are intended to deflect or undermine opposition to Israeli policies, including Israel's refusal, with U.S. support, to move towards a general political settlement.

• Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics by Lenni Brenner (Washington Report 07/1996)
• Unions Among 100s of Groups Spied On by ADL Informant by Jeffrey Blankfort (Middle East Labor Bulletin Fall 1993)
• ADL Info Helped HUAC In 1947 Witch-Hunts (Middle East Labor Bulletin Spring 1993)
• ADL U.S. Spy Networks Exposed in San Francisco (Middle East Labor Bulletin Spring 1993)
• The ADL Spy Probe by Alexander Cockburn (The Nation 05/31/1993)
• ADL'S Ties With Mossad (Middle East Labor Bulletin Fall 1993)
• Is the ADL Spying On You? by William Hughes (Baltimore Sentinel 09/1993)
• The Changing Role of the ADL by Alfred Lilienthal (Washington Report 06/1993)
• ADL Settles with Arabs, Others to Wrap up 6-year Lawsuit by Julie Wiener (Jewish Telegraphic Agency 10/01/1999)
• Spy vs Spite by Matt Isaacs (SF Weekly 02/02-08/2000)
• ADL Watch: A Link
• U.S. press sympathetic to Israel, ADL finds By Shlomo Shamir, (Ha'aretz 10/25/2000). If even the ADL --a pro-Israel organization-- thinks the US media coverage of the uprising is "fair for Israel", then no doubt should remain in anyone's mind that the US media is extremely biased for Israel.

• Arafat's Dilemma is one of Perception by Ray Hanania (09/13/1996)
• Poor Palestinian Politics Injures Hillary and Our Righteous Cause by Ray Hanania (Arab Media Syndicate 11/13/1999)
  
  

  "Palestinian unilateralism tends to the rhetorical, Israeli to be the real. " -- Washigton Post Editorial 03/24/1999 (commenting on Israel's complain about the possible Palestinian "unilateral" action, of declaring a state.)